One local man found out this the hard way in the middle of winter.
People have been crossing the rivers on the ice for centuries and in some areas they still do. Freight was moved north from Athabasca Landing by sled in the winter and boat or wagon in the summer months.
To get to the other side of the river you either used the ferry or crossed on the ice. During the time of ice forming in the fall or breaking up in the spring, the people and freighters were stuck in limbo before being able to resume travel. Many loads and animals were lost over the years as people tried to beat the ice in these remote areas.
While the Federated Coop Mills were in operation (at existing Mill site) during the 1970’s there was an ice bridge in use for the winter log haul across the Athabasca River. The river is swift moving river with a strong current. The water is constantly washing the ice away from the underside. It was important to stay on tracks of the bridge to ensure you were on the thickest possible ice. To shoot down the hill, around the corner and onto the ice bridge had to be a scary proposition. If you didn’t line up just right there was always the chance of going through..
Harley Rasmussen, a local resident, knows all about this as he had the misfortune of going through. The cab of the truck was submerged so he had to climb out the window, across the hood of the truck and make his way back onto the ice. Then he had to walk to the Scale House in -30o Celsius weather, nearly freezing to death in the process. (Note for Survival: In colder temperatures one of the first things to know is don’t get wet. It sucks the heat from your body and can be fatal). The attendant, Wayne Rempel, bundled him up and drove him home to get dry clothes and recover. The truck was pulled out with a winch truck and sent to Edmonton for repairs and was back on the log haul in a matter of days.
When the Federated Coop Mill shut down the road to the ice bridge, which follows up hill where the geocache is located, was no longer used.